If you have plenty of time,
http://www.nirsoft.net/ has a ton of very useful apps-- many more than listed on that first page:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/index.html I recommend you first get:
ZipInstaller, which like all the others, can be run withouf installing, I'd do this:
Open it, enable its Explorer context menu option, then use it to officially install it & all other with windows: ALWAYS choose the Nirsoftbackslashprogname option for both the program AND programs\start folders., & any of the other options you wish. You'll have them all in one place, won't lose track of them....
I use Zipinstaller with ALL zip & run programs(right-click your downloaded file, select ZipInstaller)-- it auto-creates desktop & start menu shortcuts among other things. We all have tons of little such apps that we even forget are there, let alone quickly find them in a pinch.
Noeld
http://noeld.com/ also has scads of useful utilities, as does XTTeq
http://www.xteq.com/downloads/and here:
http://www.321download.com/you may find the ones here helpful(i give them a B+, not an A... but YMMV:
http://www.freshdevices.com/ you'll need a valid email addy for the reg codes.
Think about paying for a PCMag subscription & download ALL their pcmag Utilities(hundreds)-- very useful.
if you're willing to give name & email, then OfficeReadyEssentials can be downloaded free... it's got some useful stuff-- including a pdf converter, templates, etc. added to your MS Office toolbar..
go to www.betanews.com and just download anything with higher than 4.5 rating: anything garnering so high a number i guarantee you will find some use for-- scroll as far down the list as you've got time. In fact, the converse is also very useful: say a new apps is out & you're thinking of getting it-- anything below 4.2 is not worth getting(as there'll usually be an equivalent app rated much higher)-- and even better, in the reviews, when a product is so panned, there will usually be a mention of the best app or two in that category & how it doesn't compare....
if you've got the time, we've got the beer: Miller Beer.......
PS
if anyone is interested in free phone calls anywhere, also free fax & voicemail-- almost-free cell phone.... the real deal: usually your choice of area code US / UK(it does involve extra steps-- which is using one number to call or fax, a different one to receive incoming calls, etc.)-- i have a comprehensive solution of which utilities you install & which providers you sign up with. It's the real deal: real numbers, no fees, no credit cards, no spam, no credit check, no bs free for a little bit, then lose the number if you don't buy a plan.
If anyone's interested, i'll start a separate thread with that and maybe free multi-gigabyte(giga, not mega) web storage, free 2 & 3 gb email, etc.
And these are plans from companies you'll recognize-- between de-regulation of VOIP & new web ads revenue stream formulas, some good things are coming our way(I'm self-employed, so i'm always researching the cheapest services to use).
I use a small program name Clear it removes all ie history temp folders/cache etc its small and easy 2 use.
tired of old 98se icons? Replace them with new xp icon no big deal just a little update to your desktop. grab them here!!
soldier1st You use great programs. 
